Triple Olympic medallist Matthew Richardson defects from Australia to Great Britain

Australia’s star of the track cycling at the Paris Olympics has stunned the world with a shock defection to the old enemy.

The Australian cycling community has been left in shock after Paris Olympic medallist Matthew Richardson defected from Australia to Great Britain.

The 25-year-old Aussie had a tremendous Olympic campaign, claiming two silver medals in Kierin and Sprint events and a bronze in the Team Sprint in Paris.

He also broke the world record in the men’s sprint — which stood for just five minutes before it was beaten by eventual gold medallist Harrie Lavreysen from the Netherlands.

He was also the Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the Team Sprint and Sprint from Birmingham, as well as claiming a world championship gold in the 2022 Team Sprint for Australia.

But Richardson has decided to turn his back on Australia and instead race for his birth nation going forward.

AusCycling released a statement saying that Richardson’s application to change his nationality for future competitions had been approved by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

Richardson was born in Maidstone, England but moved to Australia at the age of nine, where he began cycling in his early teens in Warwick in the north of Perth, Western Australia.

However, Richardson has maintained a dual citizenship with both British and Australian passports.

Matthew Richardson has joined Team Great Britain. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Richardson said the decision had been a difficult one but that he only came to the decision after considering his “career and future”.

“It’s not something I decided on quickly or easily,” Richardson posted on Instagram.

“I deeply respect Australia and the Australian Cycling Team, and it will always be a part of who I am. As this new chapter in my life begins, I would like to sincerely thank the coaches and support staff who have worked with me over many years in Australia.

“Special mention to Midland Cycle Club, WAIS and AusCycling, with personal thanks to the two biggest coaching influences in my career — Clay Worthington and Matt Crampton. I want to say a huge thank you to my teammates for everything we’ve been through together. You’ve been there for the highs and the lows, and I’m so grateful for all the support, laughter, and hard work we’ve shared.

“But this decision is about following my passion and pushing myself to new heights. This isn’t about leaving something behind, but about embracing a new chapter in my journey and chasing a dream, a dream that is to race for the county in which I was born.

“I hope you can understand and support me as I continue to give my best in the sport I love.”

Richardson is coming off an excellent Olympic campaign. Photo by Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP

AusCycling executive general manager of performance Jesse Korf said the organisation had been blindsided.

“The announcement of Matt’s switch is disappointing and came as a surprise,” Korf said via a statement.

“We also understand that the desire to compete for a country one was born in can bring forth strong emotions.

“Matt has been an integral part of our sprint program in the last five years, enjoying many successes on the track across two Olympic Games, a Commonwealth Games, multiple UCI Track World Championships campaigns and several UCI Track Nations Cup and World Cup seasons.

“Our Performance program has made massive leaps in terms of culture and performance in recent years which is a testament to all athletes, coaches and staff — Matt included.

“The men’s sprint program is currently one of our deepest and exciting talent pools with strong programs across the country with the support of state and territory institute and academies of sport. We have many talented riders that now will see increased opportunity as we set our sights on LA 2028 as a stepping stone towards Brisbane 2032.”

Due to the UCI rules according to Cycling Weekly, Richardson is not eligible to compete in the 2024 World Championships in October or the 2025 European Championships in February.

But at 25, he’ll have many years left in the sport with the 2028 LA Olympics firmly in the crosshairs.

However, Richardson will join Great Britain’s silver medal winning Team Sprint squad of Jack Carlin, Hamish Turnbull and Ed Lowe.

British team performance director Stephen Park was thrilled by the news.

“I am excited to see what his presence adds to the talent we already have as we start to turn our attention to the new four-year cycle towards LA 2028,” he said.